MEET THE CANDIDATES: 2 challenge incumbent for Crestview city clerk

By BRIAN HUGHES / News Bulletin

Published: Friday, February 15, 2013 at 11:32 AM.

Secretary/past president of the Kiwanis Club of Crestview; recipient of the James E. Plew Community Ambassador Awardfrom Eglin AFB; former honorary commander at Eglin AFB and Duke Field; and Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce member.

Recipient of the Bob Sikes Patriot of the Year Award and recipient of the Doc Barrows Citizen of the Year Award.

Married to local businessperson Mike Roy.

Relevant experience:

Have spent my entire adult life in the business world and feel that my experience is what the city of Crestview needs to move forward.

I was appointed to the position in December of 2011 and was sworn in on Jan. 2, 2012. Every situation that has come up in the last year has been carefully researched to make sure we are giving the best answers for the city of Crestview and its citizens.

Editor's Note: Voters of municipal elections on March 12 will decide several positions in Crestview and Laurel Hill governments.

To help readers make informed decisions at the polls, the News Bulletin will publish profiles of each candidate running for these offices over the next six editions, beginning with today's profiles of the three candidates for Crestview city clerk.

Each candidate was asked to answer the same questions and received the same amount of space to respond. Candidates appear alphabetically.

I have 20-plus years of management in the medical field, as well as the past 10-plus years as a Realtor/broker. I have experience in accounts receivable, accounts payable, book keeping, budgets, insurance filing, personnel, payroll, maintenance of all records, negotiating contracts, state and local audits as well as medical audits, quality control, hiring subcontractors (IT personnel, transcriptionist, maintenance, etc). Responsible to make sure all personnel were licensed, certifications and (continuing education) were current. Responsible for making sure all patients and customers were satisfied.

Other education/experience: Florida notary, real estate and broker license with the continued education that is required.

Reason you seek this position:

To give the city back to the citizens.

I want to give the citizens back their voice in our local government as well as their confidence in our local elected officials. I want to put transparency, integrity and accountability back into our elective positions and make the citizens of Crestview proud of our community once again.

The city of Crestview has been a wonderful place for families to raise our children and future leaders of not just this city, but our state, as we have in the past.

Our local citizens were proud of where we lived and not ashamed of what goes on in our local government.

Our citizens could stop our elected officials on the streets, in our restaurants and discuss the topics and issues as well as their concerns and knew that they would get honest answers.

I want to help make Crestview a place to be proud of once again.

Biggest issue this position faces and how you plan to address it:

To earn the trust of our citizens.

As your city clerk, there will be an “open door” policy, total transparency, accountability for the actions of myself and staff to our employer, the city of Crestview — you the citizens.

I will work diligently to make you proud of our city and be accountable to you, the people of this fine city. To be able to accomplish this, I need your votes.

Everyone talks how Crestview’s citizens do not go to the polls to vote; let’s prove them wrong with this election on March 12. I am counting on each registered voter to make their voice heard this election.

Go vote and I will gladly put your voice back into your city!

J.T. (JOHN THOMAS) KINSEY

Personal: Married to the former Drew Henley of Clarksdale, Miss. They have two daughters, two sons and seven grandchildren. Kinsey is a member of the University of Georgia Alumni Association, the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary Chapter 57, the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce and co-owner, with his wife, of Elite Yarns, LLC. He is a member of Allapattah Baptist Church. He and Drew attend multiple churches throughout Northwest Florida.

Relevant experience:

I have over 31 years of increasingly responsible management and leadership experience working for the Department of Defense in the Defense Commissary Agency.

I held a variety of junior, middle and senior executive management and administrative positions in stateside and overseas environments at field, regional and headquarter levels.

Upon earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia, my professional career has been in public service, serving active duty, reservists, veterans and retirees of our military departments in a variety of increasingly responsible management and leadership positions.

My qualifications are the result of a broad scope of assignments I excelled in throughout my career.

The knowledge, skills and abilities I attained enabled me to be the recipient of numerous performance, leadership, meritorious and distinguished-service awards during my career.

Reason you seek this position:

I seek this position because my qualifications and leadership abilities are superior to those of my opponents and that enables me to best represent the citizens of Crestview.

More importantly, my career of public service clearly demonstrates I am more than capable of serving the citizens of Crestview.

A candidate elected by the citizens serves those individuals by carrying out the duties of the position in the best interest of the majority of the constituents.

Based upon previous incidents that have occurred within the office, I am better able to serve the citizens than the incumbent or the other opponent.

Biggest issue this position faces and how you plan to address it:

The largest issue this position faces is to restore the citizenry’s faith and trust in the office of city clerk.

Utilizing integrity as the cornerstone, this will be addressed by requiring a concerted effort on the part of all personnel associated with the city clerk’s office to conduct themselves in the utmost ethical, honest and professional manner in all endeavors they undertake.

The citizens of Crestview will be provided the optimum in transparency and customer service by all departments and personnel that fall within the purview of the city clerk.

ELIZABETH "BETSY" ROY

Personal: Crestview resident since 1995; member of First United Methodist Church; manager for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. for 25 years.

Secretary/past president of the Kiwanis Club of Crestview; recipient of the James E. Plew Community Ambassador Awardfrom Eglin AFB; former honorary commander at Eglin AFB and Duke Field; and Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce member.

Recipient of the Bob Sikes Patriot of the Year Award and recipient of the Doc Barrows Citizen of the Year Award.

Married to local businessperson Mike Roy.

Relevant experience:

Have spent my entire adult life in the business world and feel that my experience is what the city of Crestview needs to move forward.

I was appointed to the position in December of 2011 and was sworn in on Jan. 2, 2012. Every situation that has come up in the last year has been carefully researched to make sure we are giving the best answers for the city of Crestview and its citizens.

Other education/experience:

I was a department store manager and buyer for 10 years prior to becoming a manager at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc.

During my 25 years with Cracker Barrel, I was both a manager and a district manager. Fortunately, my career path brought me to Crestview in November of 1995.

Reason you seek this position:

We have accomplished a lot in the last year, but there is even more that I can see that needs to be done.

I would appreciate the opportunity to build on the foundation we have started and continue to make Crestview the city of choice for Northwest Florida.

Biggest issue this position faces and how you plan to address it:

The biggest issue I see is maintaining a strong fiscal foundation for the city.

There are a lot of tough decisions that have to be made and addressed by the city council, and this position needs someone who is not afraid to bring those issues to light.

I believe I have proved that I have been that person for the last 12 months.